In The Tank

AI is everywhere; from the silly videos you see on Facebook to the articles you read online, even within hospital systems and publishers. Where is the line? Where is AI useful, and where is it more trouble than it's worth? The Heartland Institute team will play "AI or not?", review the absolute mountains of AI-generated content that Amazon is allowing on their publishing platform, and we'll discuss what role government plays in all of this, where intervention might be necessary, and where it will only make things worse. On UNHINGED: Scammers are now using AI face and voice filters to fool people, and scambaiters have tests you should be aware of. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Donald Kendal, and S.T. Karnick will talk about all of this and more on Episode #535 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Federal agents raided more than 20 businesses this week in Minneapolis as the fight against fraud continues, and Governor Tim Walz is trying to take credit, but the public isn't falling for it. Another scam was busted at the Supreme Court, which issued a decision on race-based gerrymandering in Louisiana, stating definitively that the practice is unconstitutional. An advisor to Anthony Fauci has been charged with conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; concealment, removal, or mutilation of records; and aiding and abetting, at the same time, former FBI director James Comey has been indicted over his threatening social media posts against President Trump. After yet another assassination attempt on the President, these issues are taken very seriously by the DOJ. On UNHINGED: Ann Arbor Michigan is removing neighborhood watch signs to make neighborhoods feel more “inclusive.” Not a joke. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will talk about all of this and more on Episode #534 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Thursday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

By just a hair, Virginia voters approved a gerrymandering plan that would eliminate five Republican districts, all in the name of "restoring fairness" to Virginia's elections-- which we recognize is more like restoring Democrat domination. Luckily a court has already ruled the referendum is unconstitutional, so the fight is not over yet. But the biggest news this week has got to be that a grand jury in Alabama has charged the Southern Poverty Lawa Center with 11 counts of wire fraud and other financial crimes, and the indictment revealed that SPLC has PAID members of white supremacist and other extremist groups as "insiders" and probably also instigators, most notably in the case of the infamous Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally. And on UNHINGED; a conservative journalist was attacked by a whole family of anti-ICE protesters, and now they are doing a pity-party media circuit instead of apologizing. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will talk about all of this and more on Episode #533 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

We all know that the public education system in America is rotten, but it is actually even worse than you may realize. There are only so many hours in a school day, and while kids are falling behind in reading, writing, and arithmetic, teachers unions are making sure kids learn about how to be good left-wing activists. Many of these same groups support the "No Kings" protest movement, and we will discuss why that is. At the White House, Trump has signed an executive order about mail-in voting, in an attempt to limit fraud, but will it stick? And on UNHINGED: we will look at a very Canadian Communist Convention. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #532 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

BlackRock and Larry Fink is continuing to blink on climate policy. The investment giant appears to be abandoning some of its climate-focused dogma in favor of protecting investor returns, a crazy idea that apparently everyone forgot for a few years. At the same time, the economic catastrophe that is Net Zero is beginning to convince even New York Governor Hochul that climate policies mostly just crush affordability and energy security. Meanwhile, a major victory for free speech comes out of Missouri, as the courts have decreed that the Biden administration was WRONG for using social media as speech police. We’ll explore what this settlement means for the future of online expression and government overreach. And on UNHINGED: a Chinese professor makes the bold claim that poverty can be eliminated by simply printing more money. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #531 of the In The Tank Podcast.

Another point goes to capitalism in the long war of economics, as Poland has overcome its once-communist decay and rocketed into becoming one of the world's largest economies. Meanwhile, socialist Cuba slowly crumbles amid a fuel embargo and the decades of communist economic influence. We will contrast and compare these two examples of economic systems and see which one is best (Hint: it's not the one represented by the hammer and sickle). Trump is temporarily suspending the Jones Act, which has had a major impact on energy shipping, especially for East-coast states, and we will look at how serious a threat AI is to white collar jobs. Andrew Yang says it will be catastrophic, but is that just hyperbole? And on UNHINGED: An attempted terror attack failed in New York City last week, amid a protest over the growth of Islam in the city. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #530 of the In The Tank Podcast.

In the days leading up to the attack on Iran, a rift formed between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic. The dispute rose over restrictions the company imposed on the AI model used in US intelligence and military operations. The feud, interesting in its own right, provided insight into how the government is using AI in the theater of war. The Heartland Institute's Donald Kendal, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #529 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

New York City is struggling with its budget, and despite Mayor Mamdani campaigning on affordable housing, he’s now turning to property tax hikes to try to close the gap. This is fairly typical for Democrats—and totally unsurprising. Meanwhile, Trump struck a deal with Japan that looks poised to sidestep China while also boosting American energy abundance. We’ll also cover socialism in our schools—how bad it really is—and how to counter it. And on UNHINGED: the Obama Presidential Center, scheduled to open this spring, is astonishingly ugly—and fitting for the Obama legacy. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #526 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Justin Haskins joins us to talk about his and Jack McPherrin's new book, "The Next Big Crash," covering the shady dealings of Wall Street insiders and elites who have conspired to rig our economy and transfer control over our futures to massive financial interests. When the next crash comes, it could very well be more devastating than any before. On a brighter note, federal employment is at the lowest level it has been since 1966, showing that the Trump administration really has made progress on cutting federal bloat, while American private sector jobs are improving. Meanwhile, the SAVE America Act may be passed soon, but Democrats say it will disenfranchise voters by requiring them to simply have ID. On UNHINGED: How would you feel about living in a constant, ubiquitous surveillance state? Ring is more than happy to provide, but promises it will only be used for finding lost dogs. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and guest Justin Haskins will talk about all of this and more on Episode #526 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

This week, Bitcoin is DOWN, but does that mean anything to those of us who don't own it? Some argue that it indicates the dollar is strengthening, which is good news for affordability. AND the Washington Post has laid off a third of their staff, journalists are unemployed all over the place, and it could mean the beginning of the end for the far-left publication. Finally school is out... all the time, it seems, because students seem to be missing class for protests, snow weeks, all kinds of things that aren't school. In New York City, Mamdani's government is focusing on removing programs for high-achievers, and refocusing on "green" initiatives. For UNHINGED: Kathy Griffin is at it again, this time she is angry that First Lady Melania Trump's documentary is doing well, and recommends you turn in your pesky MAGA neighbors. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #525 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

The scale of fraud in federal entitlement programs is truly staggering with some estimates reaching into the TRILLIONS, and we have to ask, who can be held accountable for all this? Fresh off the plane home from Switzerland, Linnea, Donald, and Jim discuss the Heartland Institute's inaugural WORLD PROSPERITY FORUM, the antidote to the globalism of the World Economic Forum held at Davos every year... which Linnea and Donald may or may not have also gone to visit while in Europe. And on UNHINGED: An insane viral video of a nurse shows her instructing "resistors" on how to harm ICE agents. How did we even get to this point? And why on Earth are there so many videos like this? The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and Donald Kendal will talk about all of this and more on Episode #524 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

On In The Tank Podcast #523, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick break down the latest reminders that socialism doesn’t “fix” anything—it wrecks it. From political theater in Washington to chaos in corporate America, and from Venezuela’s collapse to what’s brewing in New York City, the panel connects the dots on how bad ideas keep spreading. The panel digs into Democrats holding a candlelight vigil… for Jan. 6. Then the crew looks at a Hilton franchise caught in a PR firestorm after targeting ICE bookings, and asks the obvious question: when did basic law enforcement become a corporate punching bag? The conversation also turns to Venezuela’s oil—why anyone still wants access to it, what decades of socialism did to the country, and why America shouldn’t be taking notes. Finally, the panel looks at NYC’s trajectory, including Mamdani’s tenant-power agenda and what it could mean for the city if these policies keep gaining ground. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Hollywood is at a breaking point—and audiences can feel it. On In the Tank Podcast #522, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal dig into what’s reshaping movies and TV right now: DEI-era gatekeeping, studios quietly changing course, shrinking opportunities for creators, and the growing role of AI in entertainment. They’re joined by Christian Toto, returning for his fifth annual appearance, to break down how Hollywood’s incentives filtered out creative voices—and why so many films now feel safe, preachy, and lifeless. The panel also tackles Disney’s new AI deal involving OpenAI’s Sora platform and what it means for writers, actors, and storytelling itself. Plus: the crew runs through their “Unhinged” list of the worst movies and TV of 2025—and what might actually be worth watching next. If Hollywood has lost its edge, this episode explores why—and what comes next. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals Chapters:  00:33 Intro 01:57 Special Guest Introduction 03:55 Support Our Sponsor!  05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025  22:08 Film Affected By DEI 49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad? 1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The Experience STORIES COVERED ON THE SHOW: DEI To Blame? - Writers and other roles in movie companies are being filtered by DEI politics in Hollywood. Does this have an effect on the quality of films? https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/ https://variety.com/2025/film/news/hollywood-drops-dei-programs-donald-trump-disney-paramount-amazon-1236327202/ AI in Movies - Where is it good, and Where does it suck? https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-openai-sora-agreement/ https://archive.ph/2xtns  Optimism for the Future: the best films of 2025, what to look forward to in 2026 and beyond. https://x.com/vegasstarfish/status/1961588349799731453 https://www.imdb.com/calendar/

"Woke" and its pushers continues to be exposed for the ugliness, fraud and tyranny their policies unleash on the rest of us, all over the world. We'll cover how the architect of Jaguar’s disastrous rebrand has finally been canned, and Rep. Aftyn Behn’s loss to Matt Van Epps in Tennessee reveals her and her party as very sore losers indeed. We'll also take a look at the years of widespread fraud inside Minnesota’s social services system, and discuss how Governor Walz not only buried the problem but may be setting the stage for even more abuse through a new program. And on UNHINGED: Multiple-time violent criminals are being released to attack people again, and other craziness. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and S.T. Karnick will talk about all of this and more on Episode #521 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Thanksgiving is approaching, but grocery prices seem to just keep getting higher. We will discuss what causes food costs to rise, and how it can be stopped. A new exclusive from the Free Beacon reports that George Soros gave a quarter million dollars to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which works with advertisers for Big Tech trying to deplatform conservative voices and destroy X.com. Plus, Rasmussen polling found that a worrying chunk of young voters would be willing to hand functions of government over to AI, including policymaking decisions and our very rights. And on UNHINGED: Trump Derangement Syndrome increasingly appears to be a genuine pathology, with sufferers totally unable to cope. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #520 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals Interesting and recommended video on AI: We Are Not Ready for Super Intelligence:  Chapters: 00:38 Intro 02:17 Panel Introduction 06:47 UNHINGED: Trump Derangement Syndrome Continues 20:57 Real Reason Food Cost is High 43:30 Advisory Metals 45:33 Soros continues to control the media 54:31 AI OVERLORDS?

America’s great exodus from major cities and entire states keeps accelerating — and the election of socialist Mayor Mamdani in New York City is only speeding things up. Yet polls show young Americans becoming more favorable toward socialism, even embracing ideas like government-run grocery stores. What does that say about our culture, our education system, and the nation’s future? On the education side, things are just as alarming. UC San Diego reports that incoming students can’t meet basic math expectations — not just at grade level, but far below it. How did we get here, and how can states and the federal government fix this before it truly spirals out of control? PLUS on UNHINGED: An AI-generated country song has charted in online music sales. Is this a sign of an unhinged future — or has mainstream music been formulaic and awful for years anyway? The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo break it all down on Episode #519 of the In the Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat! Streaming on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Support our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals Chapter:  02:08 Intro 5:48 TOP Country song is AI???? 24:36 Exodus of NYC and other Blue States 36:11 Most Young Voters Embrace Socialism 1:10:43 How Do We Fix Our Education System?

On Tuesday, New York City elected a trust-fund communist as mayor. New Jersey, which seemed to be trending red, put a scandal-ridden Democrat in the governor's mansion. In Virginia, voters rejected a black Republican conservative woman over a woke former CIA spook who pledged to force girls and women to endure biological men in their private spaces again. Oh, and Dems in the Old Dominion also elected a man who wished a political opponent and his children would be murdered so his grieving wife would finally agree with him on policy as she held her family in her arms. The weird part is that all these results were expected for weeks. What happened? On Episode #518 of the In the Tank Podcast, the Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will break it all down. It seems that the rise of socialism has not been arrested after all. Is this an outlier, or a sign that the midterm elections in 2026 will be a bloodbath for Trump and the MAGA movement. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Are Democrats holding SNAP funding hostage to keep the Schumer Shutdown alive? The In the Tank crew dives into the latest Washington tricks — and whether major reforms are long overdue. As the Democratic Party embraces openly socialist candidates, we ask: are there any moderates left? On UNHINGED, the team rants about Christmas displays popping up before Halloween 🎃 — and then wraps up with a lighter segment on our favorite spooky-season books and movies. Featuring Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo of The Heartland Institute. 🕐 Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X — and join us in the live chat! Visit our sponsor, ADVISOR METALS: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

The AI Revolution is happening at an incredible speed. New AI products, like OpenAI's Sora 2, continue to push the envelope and blur the lines between reality and fabrication. And as this revolutionary technology continues to advance and integrate deeper into our daily lives, serious questions are emerging about power, control, and human rights in the digital age. Should there be a framework—an “AI Bill of Rights”—to protect individuals from algorithmic abuse, data manipulation, and government or corporate overreach? The ITT crew discusses how real this future is becoming, the potential threats to privacy and autonomy, and whether society is prepared for the moral and political challenges AI is bringing to the surface. The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Justin Haskins will discuss all of this and more on Episode #516 of the In The Tank Podcast. Watch LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat! Chapters:  0:37 Intro 2:06 Start 6:41 Debate on the role of AI in education 26:05 The Radical Normalization of AI Tech 43:12 AI Game: Is it real? 58:30 AI Bill of rights?

The government is still shut down, and Democrats are warning that the expiration of Obamacare subsidies at the end of this year will make healthcare unaffordable for millions. But that’s not true. While the system certainly needs reform, the real problem lies deeper than temporary subsidies. The Heartland crew will break down what needs to change to make healthcare work for everyone. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has floated the idea that the United States may need to “decouple” from China if they continue to play unfairly in global markets. What would that mean for essential materials and the broader economy—and has America waited too long to act? And on this week’s UNHINGED segment, CNN revives an old feminist slogan that claims men who find women attractive are a societal problem. The panel will discuss why this narrative keeps failing and what it says about modern media culture. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, Chris Talgo, and special guest AnneMarie Schieber will discuss all of this and more on Episode #515 of the In The Tank Podcast. Watch LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat! VISIT our sponsor: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals SHOW NOTES: CNN, After years of progress on gender, the male gaze is back: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/11/health/male-gaze-wellness The Epoch Times: US May Decouple From China If Rare Earths Dispute Persists: Bessent https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/bessent-says-if-china-refuses-to-be-a-reliable-partner-us-and-allies-will-have-to-decouple-5929817 The Federalist: No, Obamacare Premiums Are Not Doubling https://thefederalist.com/2025/10/08/no-obamacare-premiums-are-not-doubling/ The Federalist: Here’s How Republicans Should Fix Health Care Rather Than Bailing Out Obamacare https://thefederalist.com/2025/10/07/heres-how-republicans-should-fix-health-care-rather-than-bailing-out-obamacare/ Forbes: How Obamacare Set In Motion Today’s Premium Crisis https://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2025/10/14/how-obamacare-set-in-motion-todays-premium-crisis/